The Butterfly NYC

OK, I've been horrible about posting. Unlike pro-blogger Jen, I get too caught up in everything else. So it's fair to say something has to push me over the top in order to suddenly decide to post something.

This cute little place came up in a random search and I'm hooked - partly because the name of the place is my nickname for her, but mostly because the food shots literally made me salivate.  I mean – Coca-cola ice cream? Squash blossoms with mozzarella? I'm in!

Butterfly Patty Melt – diner food at it's highest

Needs no introduction

All kinds of appetizers

Does it even matter? Yum!

Coco-cola ice cream with caramel corn and cherries. Done.

The Butterfly

225 West Broadway

New York City 10013

646-692-4943

thebutterflynyc.com/

@TheButterflyNYC

Review: Spasso

Spasso is a superb little Italian restaurant deep in the West Village. We stumbled on this place back in the summertime and just managed to hit the end of brunch but oh, are we glad we made it.

Brunch anywhere in NYC wouldn't be brunch without eggs (ok, really it wouldn't be brunch without cocktails but seeing as how neither Jen or I drink, that's not in the cards). Though not prominent on the menu, Spasso is no different. What caught us by surprise is literally how perfect the poached eggs were. Being a cook, poached eggs are somewhat of a "holy grail" of dishes which take an enormous amount of work to perfect, and even at a high-end restaurant, I've seen botched terribly. 

I'd really like to make my way back there so we can try out the pasta. I'm not a big crab eater but this orecchiette looks delicious.

Of course for me I had to have a skirt steak. I neglected to take a photo of it but needless to say - perfect also.

The place is bright and charming, if not just slightly too cozy like any Village eatery, but a comfortable level of noise, atmosphere and attitude.

Spasso
551 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
212.858.3838
spassonyc.com

Images by Spasso & Gilt

P-Review: Manzanilla

Anticipated. This is a new Spanish (think Spain) brasserie with a Michelin 2-star chef pushing a new agenda on food. Highly decorative and no doubt delicious, Manzanilla ("little apple") opens January 28th in NYC. Walk-ins only at this time.

Manzanilla
345 Park Avenue South at 25th Street
New York, New York
(212) 255-4086

Images from Manzanilla's website.

P-Review: Astor Room

What's a P-Review? That's when there's a food place that I would love to try out but haven't been yet. Such is Astor Room. Located in Astoria (Queens) in the former commissary of the Kaufman Astoria Studios, this place rocks Old Hollywood. But more importantly, the food looks incredible.

I honestly have no idea what these dishes are but when I saw them on Gilt City, I started drooling (ok, that's gross, but you get the picture).

Food. Wine. Music. Cocktails. Did I mention food? Crisp calimari, maybe? Yum.

The Gilt review:

If the walls could talk at The Astor Room, they would reveal gossip traded over dinner by Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino and the Marx Brothers. This atmospheric restaurant, refurbished in 2011, was once the commissary of the Kaufman Astoria Studio, where countless classic films were made. Visit today and you’ll feel the spirit of early American cinema in a luxuriously appointed, Art Deco–style room that hearkens back to a more elegant era. Expect dishes that evoke the elegant cuisine of more refined era, like French onion soup and short rib stroganoff. With its dark wood, piano and tiled walls, the only things The Astor Room lacks today are the clouds of cigar smoke and Prohibition-era bootleg whiskey.

Definitely on my list of places to hit. Soon.

PS - if you happen to read this near the post date and live in the NYC area, Gilt has a great special dinner offer!

The Astor Room
34-12 36th Street
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 255-1947

Photos from Gilt City and The Astor Room

Review: ABV

So neither Jen nor I really drink wine so it would be unlikely to find us in a wine bar but this little joint on in the Carnegie Hill area of the Upper East Side is worth the visit.

We managed to visit the place twice - once for late dinner and once for Sunday brunch. And both times, it was fantastic.

Beet salad with frisee and goat cheese
Very refreshing - the goat cheese is lighter than usual - almost like mascarpone, and the dressing is the right balance of sweet and acidic.

Gnocchi with butternut squash and morels
All I could say was "wow!" The mushrooms were fried until crisp so they had a texture and flavor something like bacon. The greens provided a bit of bitterness to balance the richness.

Breakfast Torta
Eggs, slab bacon, potatoes and avocado in crusty bread with rosemary fries.
Served as a sandwich it looks very unassuming but you will love it - rich, drippy egg yolks, diced fried potatoes and smoky bacon.

Eggs benedict (with a hash brown center)
Yum. What's a brunch without eggs benedict?

Images by MadeForJen (sorry for the graininess - they were shot in low light with an iPhone)

ABV
1504 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10029
http://www.abvny.com/

Review: Le Train Bleu

Deep inside the recesses of Bloomingdale's flagship store on 59th Street in Manhattan is a gem of an upscale diner called Le Train Bleu. Located on the 6th floor and up a steep stairwell, the moment you hit the top, you're transported to another continent and another time.  The decor is decked out to look like a high-end railway dining car - including the exterior "loading platform" and the windows looking out over the East River (okay, so now they look out over a skyscraper but let's not kill the visuals).

The waitstaff is fast and efficient and the menu finely French. The food was good, though a bit under-salted for me (which is highly unusual).  The best part of the place, though, is that the late afternoons are quiet so conversation is easy and comfortable.

Steak Frites

Duck Breast

Side Salad

Spinach Salad with mushrooms

Le Train Bleu
Inside Bloomingdales, 6th Floor
1000 Third Avenue at 59th Street
New York, NY 10022

Open Daily - check Bloomingdales website for hours

Images by MadeForJen

Review: Empanadas at Dulce Vida Cafe

Smack in the middle of the Upper East Side is a cute little Colombian restaurant called Dulce Vida Cafe.  It's a little hole in the wall - seven 2-seaters and a wall banquet - but the menu is pretty broad and tasty, but the thing we like the most there are the empanadas.

These are traditional Colombian empanadas, made with masarepa (cornmeal) and filled with shredded chicken or spiced ground beef.  The best part (in my opinion) is the chimichurri-style sauce (I say "style" because it has fewer herbs and garlic and more onion than more traditional chimi) - adds the right amount of acidity to offset the crustiness of the masarepa skin.

Personally, I still prefer Argentinian-style empanadas with the pastry and wider range of fillings but these will do. For some good Argentinian empanadas, check out Ruben's in Tribeca.

Dulve Vida features a bakery case with fresh cakes and sweets.  The flourless chocolate cake is fantastic but on the day I went they didn't have so I opted for a 6-layer chocolate cake with buttercream filling and dark chocolate frosting instead. Very good.

Dulce Vida Cafe
1219 Lexington Avenue
Between 82nd & 83rd Street
New York, NY 10028
212.535.2424
Delivery available on Seamless



images by MadeForJen
cafe photo from dulcevidacafe.com